The penultimate post on what’s new on the Elcano Global Presence Index (IEPG) 2012 ranking is dedicated to Italy (10th IEPG, 8th GDP and population of 59, 394,200 in 2012). This country remains within the IEPG’s top 10 although its position has steadily declined over the past decades, dropping from the 7th place in 1990. This trend responds to the rise of other economies, such as China, but also to Italy’s global presence lower growth. In purely economic terms, Italy has moved down from 7th place in 1990 to 13th in 2012.

Although at a slower rate than other economies, the economic dimension’s contribution to Italy’s global presence has grown in both absolute and relative terms, and had reached 50% by 2012. Likewise other European Union member countries, Italy has recorded a significant increase in all exports, particularly since 2000. Italy is one of the world’s 8 most industrialised countries and the 7th country in Manufactures, also increasing in primary goods despite the decline of its agricultural sector. Its soft presence has increased, although at a slower rate. Its relative contribution has therefore decreased from 51% to 46% between 1990 and 2012. Growth in this dimension has accelerated since 2000, mainly due to tourism –it is the 5th most important tourist destination– sports and development cooperation.

In the European space, Italy remains in 6th place of the Elcano European Presence Index (IEPE) ranking in all years for which it is calculated. The Italian presence in Europe has been, traditionally, mostly soft although, as in the IEPG, the economic presence has been gaining in importance so that both dimensions have a similar contribution in 2012. This is due to a slower growth in soft presence as a whole –with increased migration and tourism, and a decrease in culture and technology– than in economic presence, which was invigorated with the creation of the European Union-27.